Home Office

Visas: Ukraine

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Ukraine community sponsorship visa system will be open for applications.

Kevin Foster: The Government’s Homes for Ukraine Scheme launched on Friday 18 March.Potential applicants and sponsors should visit homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk for further information.

Refugees: Ukraine

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the average amount of time it takes for an applicant to the Ukraine Family Scheme to get an appointment for a biometric test in (a) Poland, (b) Romania and (c) Moldova.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office does not capture the average wait times for appointments for individual Visa Application Centres. To capture numbers would require a manual trawl of data and to do so would incur disproportionate cost. As part of the Home Office’s commitment to make it easier for applicants to apply to our schemes, since 15 March Ukrainians with valid passports no longer need to go to a Visa Application Centre to give their biometrics before they come to the UK.

Refugees: Ukraine

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of safe and legal routes to the UK from Ukraine for children and families who have been displaced.

Kevin Foster: The Government has created two saf e and legal routes for Ukrainians fleeing in fear of their lives clear.the Home Office’s Ukraine Family Scheme announced on 4 March, and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme announced by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities on 14 March. It is the first scheme of its kind to be operationalised anywhere in the worldThe Ukraine Family Scheme is fee-free and allows British nationals and people settled in the UK to bring family members to the UK, covering immediate family members plus parents, grandparents, children over 18 and siblings, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, cousins and in-laws. Individuals will be granted leave for three years and will be able to work and access public services and benefits.DLUHC’s Homes for Ukraine scheme allows individuals, charities, community groups and businesses in the UK to bring Ukrainians to safety – including those with no family ties to the UK. There will be no limit on the number of arrivals, and those who come to the UK on the scheme will have permission to live and work here for up to three years. They will also have access to public services and benefits. The Scheme launched on 18 March 2022.

Refugees: Ukraine

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is the policy of her Department to help introduce a humanitarian route for Ukrainian refugees to claim asylum in the UK.

Kevin Foster: The government’s humanitarian response has been developed in close consultation with the government of Ukraine. On 4 March, the Home Secretary launched the Ukraine Family scheme, the first of its kind to be operationalised anywhere in the world. Successful applicants will be granted the right to stay in the UK for three years, during which time they can work and access public services.We are also helping Ukrainians who do not have family here through the new Homes for Ukraine scheme, launched by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 18 March. It will match Ukrainians with no family here with individuals, businesses, community organisations, or local authorities who are willing and able to act as their sponsor.The government has no plans to introduce a separate scheme where applicants would be required to apply for asylum on arrival in the UK.

Visas: Ukraine

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how long is the average wait for applicants to the online pathway of the Ukraine Family Scheme Visa between uploading the supporting documents and UKVI contacting the visa applicant about the decision.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office does not capture the average wait times for applicants to the online pathway of the Ukraine Family Scheme, which could include additional steps like contacting applicants to request further information to progress their case. To capture these numbers would require a manual trawl of data and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

Refugees: Ukraine

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to expedite enhanced DBS checks for (a) Ukrainian refugees and (b) UK applicants to the Homes for Ukraine scheme to speed up the process of children coming to the UK from Ukraine.

Kevin Foster: This question can be best answered by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and should therefore be directed to that Department.

Asylum: Hotels

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the proportion of asylum seekers based in hotels being supported by her Department who (a) are awaiting their asylum interview and (b) have had their asylum interview and are awaiting a decision.

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of asylum seekers who are based in hotels and are being supported by her Department who have been waiting for their asylum interview for (a) three to six months, (b) six to nine months and (c) nine to 12 months and (d) over a year.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office are unable to provide data for the estimate proportion of asylum seekers based in hotels being supported, who have had their asylum interview and are awaiting a decision or the numbers who have been waiting for their asylum interview for three to six months, six to nine months and nine to 12 months and over a year as this information is not held in a reportable format.However, the Home Office can provide the numbers of asylum seekers awaiting an asylum decision by duration and the number of asylum seekers in receipt of support and can be found at Asy_04 and Asy_07b of the published immigration statistics:List of tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Refugees: Ukraine

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to increase the workload capacity of her Department in response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis.

Kevin Foster: We are committed to ensuring our operational teams have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system. We actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand, including from pressures relating to Ukraine. The Home Office is continually making efforts to simplify the application process for Ukrainian refugees and keeps this under regular review.UKVI has redeployed caseworking staff in the UK to work seven days a week to process Ukraine applications, and has temporarily loaned in staff from other departments like HM Revenue and Customs to help manage demand.

Visas: Ukraine

Caroline Ansell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her oral statement on 1 March 2022 on Ukraine, Official Report, column 916, that Ukrainian nationals already in the UK have been given the option to switch, free of charge, to a points-based immigration route or a family visa route, , what plans she has to extend similar rights to Ukrainian students in the UK who are not eligible for this sponsored route, to extend their visa for a fixed period, and if she will make a statement.

Kevin Foster: The Government will be launching a new Ukraine Extension Scheme on 3 May. Under this route, Ukrainian nationals and their partner and children who had permission to stay in the UK on 18 March 2022 (or which has recently expired) will be able to stay in the UK under the Ukraine Extension Scheme. Eligibility for permission to stay will include those who were in the UK as Students. Successful applicants will be granted permission to stay in the UK for 3 years with full access to work, study and public funds. The Ukraine Extension Scheme will be free of charge with no requirement to pay any application fee or broader charges such as the Immigration Health Surcharge.

Refugees: Ukraine

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to put in place extra levels of protection for people holding refugee status or subsidiary status in Ukraine fleeing that country to the UK.

Kevin Foster: The UK has a proud record of providing protection for people who need it, in accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights. However, we do not allow asylum claims from abroad, nor facilitate individuals to travel to the UK for the purposes of claiming asylum. Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach, as this is the fastest route to safety.Where an asylum claim is properly made in the UK and admitted to the UK asylum system, it will be given full and careful consideration, and we will grant protection where this is appropriate. We will not remove anyone to their country of origin or any other country where they would face persecution or serious harm. Due to the recent events, we have removed our country policy and information notes for Ukraine from gov.uk as they no longer reflect the current country situation.We have, therefore, temporarily paused asylum decision making to ensure our decision makers are only considering claimants’ protection needs in the light of relevant and up-to-date country information. We are reviewing the country situation and will issue updated country policy and information notes shortly reflecting revised assessments of risk of persecution.

UK Visas and Immigration: Staff

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of staffing levels within UK Visa and Immigration in the context of the refugee crisis arising from the war in Ukraine.

Kevin Foster: We are committed to ensuring our operational teams have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system. We actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand, including from pressures relating to Ukraine.UKVI has redeployed caseworking staff in the UK to work seven days a week to process Ukraine applications, and has temporarily loaned in staff from other departments like HM Revenue and Customs to help manage demand.The Home Office and the commercial provider operating our Visa Application Centres have also surged staff across Europe to meet demand, where we can offer over 13,000 appointments to visa applicants, and UKVI staff in the UK are working seven days a week to process applications.

Refugees: Ukraine

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) support Ukrainian refugees to escape the conflict zone in Ukraine and (b) expedite asylum applications to the UK for vulnerable people, including the elderly, women and children.

Kevin Foster: The Government is moving as quickly as possible to ensure those fleeing Ukraine can find safety in the UK through the Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine Scheme, the first of their kind to be operationalised anywhere in the world.Both of these schemes are free, and people applying under the schemes will be able to live and work in the UK for up to three years. They will have full and unrestricted access to benefits, healthcare, employment, and other support.The Government has streamlined the process so valid Ukrainian passport holders do not have to attend in-person appointments before arriving in the UK, simplified our forms and boosted caseworker numbers, while ensuring vital security checks are carried out.Whilst the Government sympathises with people in many difficult situations around the world, there is no provision within the Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge.The Government does though welcome vulnerable people in need of protection to the UK through our resettlement schemes. These schemes have provided safe and legal routes for tens of thousands of people to start new lives in the UK.

Visas: Ukraine

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2022 to Question 144837 on Visas: Ukraine, when her Department intends to publish figures on the number of visas issued under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Kevin Foster: The information is already in the public domain at the following address.Ukraine Family Scheme and Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme: visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Asylum: Ukraine

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data the Government used to determine that 200,000 Ukrainian people would be eligible to seek asylum or residence to the UK.

Kevin Foster: The Government has set no limit to the number of people it will accept under the routes announced to support Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion, but potential use of these routes is difficult to estimate. A broad estimate of potential sponsors under the Ukraine Family Scheme can be made, taking Ukrainian nationals with settlement or holding status under the EU Settlement Scheme and Ukrainians granted British citizenship as groups most likely to have familial links with Ukraine. Estimates are based on internal analysis. Data on these groups can be found in published statistics: Table_Se_D01 of https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1055252/settlement-datasets-dec-2021.xlsx Table EUSS_NON_EEA_02 ofhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-quarterly-statistics-december-2021 Ukrainian nationals at Table Cit_D02 of https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1055257/citizenship-datasets-dec-2021.xlsx The Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) provides support for an unlimited additional number of people. Latest data on applications to come to or stay in the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine), including totals for visa applications received and visas issued to people is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukraine-family-scheme-application-data

Refugees: Ukraine

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Ukrainian nationals have applied to come to the UK since 24 February 2022.

Kevin Foster: The information is available in the public domain at the following address.Ukraine Family Scheme and Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme: visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Future updates on Ukraine visa applications and grants will be published on a regular basis.

Department of Health and Social Care

NHS: Dental Services

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help patients who live in areas where no dental practices have (a) applied for or (b) been granted funding via the announced £50 million fund for additional dental appointments and are unable to access dental treatment as an NHS patient.

Maria Caulfield: NHS England set regional budgets for the additional £50 million based on weighted 2020/21 baseline payments. National Health Service regional teams are working with local providers to commission additional activity to improve access for patients. Regional commissioners are facilitating the distribution of the additional funding in all regions.NHS dental practices have been asked to meet as many prioritised needs as is safely possible through urgent care, care for vulnerable groups and children, followed by delayed planned care. Patients can contact NHS England’s Customer Contact Centre for assistance in finding a local dental practice or NHS111 if seeking urgent dental care. We are currently developing further proposals for dental system reform with the aim of improving access for patients.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2022 to Question 142428, what national awareness campaigns are being conducted to alert the public to the MHRA statement that in a minority of cases the risks of the vaccines outweigh the benefits; and what public information is available to enable individual patients to assess whether their own circumstances and those of their children are such that the risk of having the vaccine outweighs the benefit.

Maggie Throup: Vaccines are the best way to protect people from COVID-19. The expected benefits of the vaccines in preventing infection and serious complications associated with COVID-19 outweigh any currently known side effects in the majority of patients. Those with particular risks, such as an allergy to particular vaccine components, should seek specific advice from their doctor or from the local immunisation or health protection team.If an individual has more general concerns about COVID-19 vaccination, there is a variety of materials available on NHS.UK and GOV.UK. A relevant health professional can also provide additional advice regarding the vaccine. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) continues to communicate its assessment of the risks and benefits of the vaccines. The MHRA publishes information on COVID-19 vaccine safety which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-vaccine-adverse-reactions

Coronavirus: Screening

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many rapid lateral flow covid-19 tests have been issued in (a) England and (b) the South West in each of the last 12 months.

Maggie Throup: We are currently validating and collating the figures for lateral flow device tests issued in England, which will be published in due course. However, the data being collected does not identify the number of tests issued by region across all distribution channels.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on the potential merits of extending the covid-19 booster vaccination programme in Spring 2022 to (a) NHS staff and (b) people over the age of 50.

Maggie Throup: We have regular discussions with stakeholders on a range of issues related to the COVID-19 vaccination programme. On 21 February 2022, the Government accepted the advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to offer a further dose to those aged 75 years old and over, residents in care homes for older adults and the immunosuppressed. The primary aim is to reduce the risk of severe disease in the population therefore the most vulnerable groups have been prioritised for vaccination in the spring programme. The JCVI continues to consider the latest available data on the timing and value of any further doses.

Oral Tobacco

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 21 September 2021 to Question 50629 on Oral Tobacco, when he will publish the evidence on snus which his Department has analysed.

Maggie Throup: The Department received over 5,000 responses to the public consultation on the post-implementation review (PIR) of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulation 2016. Identifying the specific evidence relating to oral tobacco and/or snus across these submissions would incur disproportionate cost. However, the Department has now published the PIR, which includes a summary of the evidence and is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1063222/the-tobacco-and-related-products-regulations-2016-post-implementation-review-web-accessible.pdfThe Department has not undertaken its own review of oral tobacco as it is banned in the United Kingdom and we have no plans to introduce additional tobacco products to the market. Safer nicotine delivery products are currently available for smokers, including nicotine pouches.

Coronavirus: Screening

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the end of free covid-19 testing on the cost of living (a) in general and (b) for people in vulnerable groups.

Maggie Throup: Due to the success of the vaccination programme, access to antiviral treatments and increased understanding of managing personal risk, the population now has much stronger protection against COVID-19. The Government has worked with retailers to ensure that testing kits are available to purchase for those who still wish to test. It is in the interest of the manufacturers and retailers to set affordable prices so that a private market exists. Some individuals, such as those at risk of serious illness from COVID-19 who are eligible for antiviral treatments, will continue to receive free tests for use if they become symptomatic, in addition to National Health Service and adult social care staff and those in other high risk settings.

Coronavirus: Screening

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS hospitals will be permitted to retain unused covid-19 testing kits after the end of the free provision of those kits to the public.

Maggie Throup: National Health Service hospitals are permitted to retain unused COVID-19 testing kits following the end of free access to universal testing for the general public. It is at the discretion of hospitals on how remaining stock is distributed, which may include routine NHS staff testing or pre-admission testing. Free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing is available in the health and social care sector, based on clinical risk factors.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women have been treated with hormone replacement therapy in the last three years.

Edward Argar: Between February 2019 and January 2022, the number of unique female patients prescribed hormone replacement therapy in England was 2,155,435.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February to Question 92799 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, what is the maximum period following death which meets the criterion of  a person reported as having died shortly after vaccination; and whether the same criterion applies to (a) Astra Zeneca, (b) Moderna and (c) Pfizer covid-19 vaccines.

Maria Caulfield: There is no maximum period of time following a fatal suspected adverse event after exposure to a medicinal product which determines whether such a report is included in the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) listings of fatal events. However, particularly in the case of products with acute or one-off exposure, such as vaccines, the majority of deaths reported to the MHRA occurred within days or weeks following vaccination. In the MHRA’s weekly summary of adverse drug reaction reporting for COVID-19 vaccines, this is described as ‘shortly after vaccination’. The same approach applies for all vaccines used in the United Kingdom programme.

Endometriosis and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Diagnosis

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the (a) diagnosis and (b) care of those with endometriosis and PCOS.

Maria Caulfield: No specific assessment has been made as provision for polycystic ovary syndrome and endometriosis is commissioned at the local level.

Liothyronine

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with relevant stakeholders on reviewing prescription guidelines following the decision by the Competition and Markets Authority to fine Advanz for the inflation of the price of Liothyronine.

Edward Argar: We have met with representatives from the Thyroid Trust and Thyroid UK to discuss prescription guidelines relating to Liothyronine.

Care Workers: Recruitment

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of care home staff; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Keegan: We are assisting adult social care providers to recruit care staff such as those in care homes, including through the £462.5 million Workforce Recruitment and Retention Funds, which also supported existing care workers through the winter. In addition, we have expanded the Health and Care Visa to include care workers, care assistants and home carers for a 12-month period and these roles have been added to the Shortage Occupations List.The latest phase of national recruitment campaign between November and March 2022 aimed to shift perceptions of the adult social care sector and was delivered in partnership with the sector through TV, radio and digital advertising. The recent ‘People at the Heart of Care’ white paper announced that we will invest at least £500 million to develop and support the workforce over the next three years.

Veterans: Health Services

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with the devolved Administrations to increase veterans access to cross border medical referrals where there is (a) a clinical need or (b) long local waiting lists.

Gillian Keegan: Health services across the United Kingdom are available to members of the armed forces community. The Government continues to work with the devolved administrations to ensure veterans have access to services which meet their needs.

Health: Data Protection

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what contracts to manage health data are being negotiated by (a) NHS England, (b) his Department, (c) NHS Arden and Gem CSU and (d) any other NHS body on behalf of the NHS as of 24 March 2022.

Gillian Keegan: As of 24 March 2022, NHS England and NHS Improvement and NHS Digital are not negotiating contracts for the management of health data. Information on contracts managed by other National Health Service bodies is not collected centrally.

Hyperactivity: Mental Health Services

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2022 to Question 119885, on Hyperactivity: Mental Health Services, what steps his Department is taking to support providers of adult mental health services in Stockport to reduce waiting times for adults accessing ADHD assessments and appointments.

Gillian Keegan: We are investing an additional £2.3 billion a year to expand mental health services by 2023/24. The NHS Mental Health Dashboard records spending on mental health, which includes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), expenditure was £57.9 million in 2020/2021 and £61.9 million in 2021/2022. Specific spending on ADHD services is determined locally by Stockport CCG. The CCG is working with Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust and has identified an independent provider to support those who have waited the longest for ADHD assessments.

Mental Health Services

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his timeline is for publication of updated funding arrangements for NHS mental health services.

Gillian Keegan: Following the outcome of the 2021 Spending Review, individual budgets for 2022/23 to 2024/25 are subject to a detailed financial planning exercise and will be finalised in due course. We are investing an additional £2.3 billion a year for mental health services by 2023/24. The NHS Mental Health Implementation Plan sets out the planned investment in each year, subject to the ongoing financial exercise.

Tourette's Syndrome

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to increase the number of specialist practitioners researching and treating Tourette’s Syndrome throughout the country.

Gillian Keegan: Patients with Tourette’s syndrome may need support from a range of professionals, including clinical psychologists. Health Education England is increasing the number of trained clinical psychologists nationally, supporting a 60% expansion in the clinical psychology training intake in the last two years.Whilst there are no specific plans to increase the number of specialist practitioners researching Tourette’s syndrome, the National Institute for Health Research and UK Research and Innovation welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including Tourette’s syndrome. All applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition.

Tourette's Syndrome

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to increase funding into the causes of and treatments for Tourette’s syndrome.

Gillian Keegan: Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for planning and providing services locally and decisions to increase funding for Tourette’s syndrome services would be made by CCGs subject to local prioritisation.The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). While it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics, the NIHR and UKRI welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including Tourette’s syndrome. From 2018/19 and 2020/21, £2.1 million has been invested into research on Tourette’s syndrome through the NIHR’s Research Programmes.

Eating Disorders: Children and Young People

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children and young people have been waiting to start treatment for an eating disorder in each quarter since the first quarter of 2016-17, broken down by (a) urgent and (b) routine cases; and what the average waiting time for a child or young person to start treatment for an eating disorder has been in each quarter since the first quarter of 2016-17.

Gillian Keegan: The information is not held in the format requested.However, the attached table shows the number of children and young people waiting at intervals of up to one week, one to four weeks, four to 12 weeks and 12 weeks and over for eating disorder treatment since the first quarter of 2016/17. Table (xlsx, 27.5KB)

Health Services: Ukraine

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to provide medical support to Ukraine.

Gillian Keegan: The Government has donated more than 5.2 million medical items to Ukraine, including 380,000 packs of vital medicines, 220,000 wound packs and intensive care equipment.

Care Workers: Conditions of Employment and Pay

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on increasing care staff pay and conditions to the level of those of NHS staff in comparable roles.

Gillian Keegan: While we have had no specific discussions, the Department has regular engagement with stakeholders, including representatives of providers, local authorities, trade unions and people with lived experience, where pay and terms and conditions are discussed.The vast majority of care workers are employed by private sector providers who set their pay and conditions, independent of central Government. It is the responsibility of local authorities to work with care providers to determine a fair rate of pay based on local market conditions.

Hospitals

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of patients in acute hospitals in England who are medically fit for discharge; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Keegan: On 20 March 2022, the most recent data available, there were 12,235 patients or 14.72% remaining in hospital who were medically fit for discharge.

Social Services: Pay

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will ring-fence additional funding to enable social care providers and local authorities to bring support worker pay in line with equivalent NHS pay bands.

Gillian Keegan: The Local Government Finance Settlement makes an additional £3.7 billion available to councils for 2022/23. This will ensure councils have the resources needed to deliver key services, including adult social care and meet pressures including the costs of the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage. There are no current plans to ring-fence additional funding to care providers and/or local authorities for care worker pay.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on the potential merits of including the option to book a sexual health appointment via the NHS app.

Gillian Keegan: We have not yet had specific engagement with stakeholders on integrating additional sexual health services on the NHS App. However, the App can be used to book a range of primary care appointments online, which may include sexual health appointments if these are offered by the local practice. We are aiming to test and introduce new ways of integrating additional services and make them available to users through the NHS App.

Health Services: ICT

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the risk to (a) patient safety and (b) data security of companies that provide IT services to healthcare settings that are not compliant with the information standard DBC0129 on clinical risk management.

Gillian Keegan: All health IT system providers working with the National Health Service are expected to meet the DCB0129 standard and we are addressing compliance. Commissioners are responsible for assessing the risks related to patient safety and data security if systems which have been commissioned and procured do not comply with DCB0129.

Integrated Care Systems

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that health and care services are well integrated.

Gillian Keegan: The integration white paper, published on 9 February 2022, sets out our policy on integrating health care and social care, complementing the measures in the Health and Social Care Bill and the adult social care reform white paper.The white paper describes a shared outcomes framework and single accountable person for these outcomes. This will support local organisations to collaborate to prioritise and integrate services. We expect organisations will identify a single accountable person by spring 2023. The white paper also identifies that specific policies, such as those related to workforce, digital and data, financial pooling and alignment and oversight and leadership can enable greater integration.

Diabetes and Eating Disorders

Sir Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2022 to Question 106670, on Diabetes and Eating Disorders, when the means of increasing awareness among healthcare professionals of the risks for those who have type 1 diabetes and an eating disorder will be finalised and rolled out across the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Keegan: Following the initial pilot evaluation findings, NHS England and NHS Improvement are broadening the availability of services to support people with type 1 diabetes related disordered eating. Funding has been made available over two years for up to five additional pilot sites areas from 2022/23.Future pilot site delivery will include raising awareness of the service and condition with healthcare professionals and the communities they serve. Various resources have been developed by the first two pilot sites, including risk assessment documents, protocol and learning materials. An updated version of the Management of Really Sick Patients with Anorexia Nervosa guidelines is due to be published shortly, including guidance for health professionals on managing patients with type 1 diabetes related disordered eating.

Housing: Older People

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether guidance on housing-with-care provision will be introduced via the task force on older people’s housing announced in the Levelling Up White Paper.

Gillian Keegan: There are currently no plans to introduce new guidance specifically on housing-with-care provision. The new taskforce on older people’s housing announced on 2 February 2022 will build on the commitments set out in the adult social care reform white paper. The taskforce will review ways to provide more choice, better quality and greater security of housing for older people and support the growth of a thriving older people's housing sector, including housing-with-care.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the cost of hormone replacement therapy for women.

Maria Caulfield: We remain committed to reducing the cost of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) prescriptions for those women who are not already exempt from prescription charges.We will achieve this through an annual prescription prepayment certificate for HRT, which is due to be implemented from April 2023. This certificate will allow individuals to access the annual licensed HRT treatments they require for the cost of two single prescription items at £18.70.

Acute Beds: Shropshire

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will request an update from (a) NHS Improvement, (b) NHS England and (c) relevant local authorities on the work they are (i) individually and (ii) collectively undertaking to ensure the timely discharge of medically fit patients from Shropshire’s acute hospitals.

Gillian Keegan: The Department is working with NHS England and NHS Improvement, local government and social care providers to monitor and address the underlying causes of delayed discharges. We continue to explore options to minimise delays to hospital discharge, including identifying capacity to accommodate people who no longer need acute hospital care while continuing to need other forms of support.The National Health Service regional team in Shropshire, Telford, and Wrekin is increasing social work capacity in the accident and emergency department at Shropshire and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust. Additional support being developed to ensure people are referred into social prescribing as appropriate and ‘step-up’ and ‘step-down’ care provision through the Short-Term Assessment and Rehabilitation Team.